title: The use of bedside ultrasound in the evaluation of patients presenting with signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism.
abstract: Evaluation of patients that present to the emergency department with concerns for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism can be difficult. Modalities including computerized tomography (CT) of the chest, pulmonary angiography, and ventilation perfusion scans can expose patients to large quantities of radiation especially if the study has to be repeated due to poor quality. This is particularly a concern in the pregnant population that has an increased incidence of pulmonary embolism and may not be able to undergo multiple radiographic studies due to fetal radiation exposure. This paper presents a case of a pregnant patient with signs and symptoms concerning pulmonary embolism. The paper discusses the use of bedside ultrasound in the evaluation of patients with pulmonary embolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine and Center for Brain Injury Research and Education, University of Florida College of Medicine, 1329 SW 16th Street, P.O. Box 100186, Gainesville, FL 32610-0186, USA.
authors.forename: Adarsh N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: L Connor
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Nickels
authors.forename: F Eike
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Flach
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Portu
authors.forename: Latha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ganti